Does anyone have any input on running/serious training while in the Peace Corps? There was a thread from 2006, but I want some updated info.
Just like most new college grads, I'm having trouble finding a real career outside of my retail running store job. I had the idea to look into the Peace Corps after realizing my aversion to joining the military.
Does anyone have any experience with running and training in the Peace Corps? Any advice would be much appreciated.
I'm sure you can get some runs in, but you aren't going to be doing serious training or competing. And why would you want to? If you join, the Peace Corps has to be your main focus.
Dude, if you get a rural site in a mountainous country, you could have so much time to train, and maybe with some really good runners if you get sent to east Africa. I was at 4500ft with hills and some mtns and dirt roads all around and I had a couple students who were 237/242 barefoot, on dirt roads, and at altitude (Kamuzu Academy Marathon) without much training. I could easily have trained big mileage in that situation but I couldn't run at all because of injury. You get up at the crack of dawn because of the roosters crowing and the women sweeping away the dust from around the houses and so there's a lot of time to get in runs. You'd have an awesome time. Getting stuck in a city might not work out that well, however.
jjjjj wrote:
Dude, if you get a rural site in a mountainous country, you could have so much time to train, and maybe with some really good runners if you get sent to east Africa. I was at 4500ft with hills and some mtns and dirt roads all around and I had a couple students who were 237/242 barefoot, on dirt roads, and at altitude (Kamuzu Academy Marathon) without much training. I could easily have trained big mileage in that situation but I couldn't run at all because of injury. You get up at the crack of dawn because of the roosters crowing and the women sweeping away the dust from around the houses and so there's a lot of time to get in runs. You'd have an awesome time. Getting stuck in a city might not work out that well, however.
I would tend to agree for the most part. I understand that I wouldn't be able to compete at a very high level in terms of local races. I am more worried about staying in good shape and maintaining decent mileage. Threshold and aerobic runs are easy workouts to complete compared to intervals or track workouts.
And to the person that said the Peace Corps would be my main focus: That's like saying you can't be training or racing at all because your day job is/should be your main focus. My day job in the Peace Corps shouldn't have a different standard than your day job in the US.
I had grand plans of training a lot during my time. I went in at 175lbs. After 4 months I weighed 130lbs. I didn't have much energy to train. Just living was a lot of work. I would do it again in a heartbeat. I suppose it depends a lot on where you are assigned.